.
Providence (401) 490-0919

East Greenwich (401) 398-0113

South County (401) 213-6652
Home
Pest Identification > 
Fleas

Rhode Island Flea Control

☎️ Call Now
Complete “Flea Elimination” is easy if we work together. Your Flea Exterminator must truly know and understand the life cycle of a flea. Rob has been 
Controlling Fleas for over 28 years.
Rhode Island Flea ControlRI Island Flea ControlRI Flea ExterminatorRhode Island Flea Exterminator

This page will answer the questions: What is a Flea? – What does a Flea look like? – Do Cat Fleas Bite? –  What does a Flea Bite Look Like? – What are the signs of me having Fleas? – What should I do if I see a Flea? – How did I get Fleas? – How can I Rid my house of Fleas? – Flea Control Tips for your home.

Rhode Island Flea Free EliminationRhode Island Flea EliminationRI Flea EliminationFlea Dirt RI

Cobra Pest Control offers “Flea Elimination” for much less than any other
”Flea Control Company” and gives a “One Year Flea Guarantee”. Rob will not try to sell you a long time service contract that you do not need.

Rhode Island Flea Exterminator Service

Since Cobra Pest Control is a local one man operation and Rob Sullivan with over 28 years of “Flea Control Experience” who does all the work himself, “Flea Extermination” is done right the first time at a much better price and “Guarantee”. Cobra Pest Control has no managers, technicians or secretaries to pay or other expenses that the bigger companies pay. This cost saving is passed on to the customer.

Testimonial

“We had an infestation of fleas in the house we were planning on moving into.

Cobra came out and sprayed the house for us at a very reasonable rate compared to other exterminators. He gave a 3 month warranty and unfortunately for him the fleas took over again..But he came back with no hesitation to spray a second time. Needless to say we are now FLEA FREE!!! I would highly recommend his services to anyone. THANK YOU!!!!!” 

Tom Gagnon
President Gagnon Enterprises Inc.
More Testimonials ➜

Flea Information,
Biology and Behavior

What Are Fleas?

Adult Fleas are about 1/16 to 1/8-inch long, dark reddish brown to black, wingless, hard-bodied (difficult to crush between fingers), have three pairs of legs (hind legs enlarged enabling jumping) and are flattened vertically or side to side allowing easy movement between the hair, fur or feathers of the host. Fleas are excellent jumpers, leaping vertically up to seven inches and horizontally thirteen inches. They have piercing-sucking mouthparts and spines on the body projecting backward. Larvae are 1/4-inch long, slender, straw-colored, brown headed, wormlike, bristly-haired creatures that are legless, have chewing mouthparts, are active, and avoid light. Pupae are enclosed in silken cocoons covered with particles of debris. Unlike most Fleas the Cat Flea remains on its host during feeding, mating, and egg laying. Cat Fleas lay about 25 to 50 eggs a day. Cat Flea Eggs are oval and white about 1/32". The eggs are smooth and easily fall from the pet and land carpet, furniture and bedding. Cat Flea eggs hatch in about 3-4 days. Flea Larvae are a small hairy worm about 3/16", brown with no legs. They feed on dried blood and excrement adult Fleas produce while feeding on the pet. They are larvae for about 1-2 weeks then build a silken cocoon where they turn into adult Fleas. Hair, skin, carpet fibers and other debris cover cocoon making them almost impossible to see. At normal room temperatures, the entire life cycle of a flea can occur in about 18 days but can be extended for over a year as described in detail above. An adult Cat Flea can live about 40 days on an animal. During spring and summer you will always find more Fleas​. Flea Control in Rhode Island can generally be kept to the interior and the pet. Yards in Rhode Island for the most part are not real suitable locations for Fleas, with the exception of a shaded area where your pet may spend a lot of time.

What do Fleas look like?

There are four common fleas. The Cat Flea, Dog Flea, Rat Flea and the Human Flea. Cat Fleas, the most common are less than 1/8". They are a reddish Brown to black. They look flattened and do not have wings. Fleas have little backward facing hairs that help them move through the hairs of animals. They have six legs, the two back legs are much longer and made for jumping. Flea Larvae are less than 1/4", legless, and a dirty white color. A good place to find flea larvae is in pet bedding or any place the pet spends a lot of time.

Do Cat Fleas Bite?

Yes all Fleas Bite. Fleas need a blood meal to reproduce. Fleas prefer a host with thick hair or fur but if an animal is not around they will feed on people.

What do Flea Bites look like?

Flea Bites look different on every person and some people do not react at all. For the most part a Flea bite will give a small, red, itchy bump. These bites are usually on the ankles and lower legs. People with allergies may suffer from hives, rashes or severe itching. Allergic reactions may last a week or more.

Can Fleas cause any disease?

Fleas that have fed on Mice, Rats, Squirrels, Bats or other Rodents may transmit diseases, including plague and murine typhus. Because of this you may need a rodent problem or Raccoon or other wild animal addressed as well, especially if you do not have any pets. Cat Fleas do not carry plague. Cobra Pest Control has a control program for all of the Pest problems.

What are the signs of me having Fleas?

Black specks on your pet, in their bedding or on your bed. This is Adult Flea Fecal Matter, basically dried blood. This is what the larvae stage feeds on. A good way to check is to put as much of these specks as you can into a clear glass of water. If it turns into reddish cloud you at least have Flea fecal matter. Another sign is pets scratching, your pet may become very nervous, annoyed and may scratch excessively. Bites on people from the knee down is a sign.

How did I get Fleas?

There are a number of ways a person can get Fleas. The most common is from your pet, a cat that roams or a dog that you walk on a leash may pick them up. A wild animal like Raccoons, Opossums, Skunks, Squirrels and others, including your neighbors cat may visit your yard and drop off some Flea eggs, Flea larvae or an Adult Flea. Mice, Rats or Bats may sneak in with Fleas as well. Also a Flea may just jump on your leg from just about anywhere you have walked that day.

How can I rid my house of Fleas?

The very best and first thing you need is An understanding of the Flea Life Cycle and their habits. Fleas go through 4 stages; egg, larvae, pupa and adult. In an ideal situation for a Flea it will spend its entire Adult life on a host in the fur, never leaving the animal. The Adult Flea will lay eggs and the eggs will fall of the animal wherever the animal may be. The egg will hatch into larvae or a worm. The larvae will crawl out of traffic areas and feed on dried blood and skins flakes. The larvae will then turn into the pupa stage or a cocoon. This is the start of when control gets difficult. In about a week this cocoon will have an Adult Flea just waiting for a victim to walk by so it can break out of the Pupa case right on to the victim and start the whole process over again. This is why control gets difficult.. The Flea can stay in the Pupa stage for over a year and survive protected. No matter what a Pesticide Company label claims there is no product that will kill the pupa stage. There are products that can affect growth or cover the pupa with something that will kill when the Flea breaks out, but these products won't last as long as a Flea can in the pupa stage. You have to provide some type of movement, walking, sweeping or vacuuming to make the Flea break out of the stage and into the product. This should be done several times over a 2 week period

Flea Control Tips for your home

  • Kill Adult fleas that are on your pet. They are the source. You must take care of the source for any control.
  • Cat Fleas sometimes carry an intestinal parasite called dog tapeworm. Visit the Vet.
  • When a Veterinarian tells you in order to get rid of Fleas you must treat your home 2 to 4 times to break the cycle it does Not apply to Pest Control Companies. Our products have safe long lasting residuals.
  • Wash pet bedding regularly.
  • Use the topical products like Frontline and Advantage. If you use generic make sure they have the same active ingredients as the products listed. Back before these products came out I would do 3-4 Flea jobs a day during the summer. Right after they came out I would get 3-4 Flea Jobs a year.
  • Vacuum, vacuum and then vacuum again. You are picking up Adults, eggs, larvae, dried blood and skin that the larvae feed on. And most importantly you are providing the movement that the Flea needs in order to break out of the Pupa stage.
  • Preventative Pest Control services help out tremendously at least if Rob from Cobra Pest Control does it.
  • Read the section above about the Life Cycle and Habits of a Flea over and over again.
Schedule a FREE Pest Inspection ➜☎️ Call NowBack to the Top ➜